JOURNALIST
SPEAKERS
This page will be updated periodically as more information becomes available. Please check back regularly for updates!
HANA AL ARAJ
Ms. Al Araj is TV presenter, journalist and voice over artist. Al Araj is the official MC for many Palestinian events in Jordan. Hana hosts galas, conferences and corporate events around the Middle East.
H.E. DR. BISHER AL KHASAWNEH
PRIME MINISTER, JORDAN
Prime Minister of Jordan on behalf of the King of Jordan.
MIKE TAYLOR
ILC
PhD in Social Anthropology and a BSc in Environmental Science, Mike joined the ILC team in 2006, having previously worked with the Botswana government and UNDP. He became Director of the Secretariat in 2015. His passion for land rights grew out of his upbringing in a small village in Botswana, building a firm conviction that land rights are fundamental to building a more just and inclusive world.
ELHAM ABBADI
BAYOUDHA VILLAGE FARMERS
She is the founder of the Albalqa Innovation Institute and president of the Bayoudha Village Farmers Cooperative which was founded by her great grandfather in 1962.
An entrepreneur in permaculture, farming and community based solutions, she provides innovative socioeconomic solutions to assist her local community in the Bayoudha village and Arda district where family farming plays an important role in the environmental socio-economic development.
RA’ED GHARIB
SEEDS
Dr. Ra’ed Gharib is the director of SEEDS. The organisation's main focus is growing young people into collaborative leaders and productive members of their communities.
JO PURI
IFAD
Ms Jo Puri is Assistant Vice President - Strategy and Knowledge Department at IFAD
OMAR SHOSHAN
JORDAN ENVIRONMENTAL UNION
Omar worked for multiple national and international organisations specialized in environment and media such as the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) (director of Azraq Wetland Reserve, environmental policy manager, board of directors), Bird Life Int’l, CEBF, and currently as chairman of Environmental Societies Union. Omar is also an experienced trainer and visiting lecturer at various universities and recently he is a civil society instructor in Middlebury School in Jordan.
MAHMOUD ELIAS HAMZA
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, WATER RESOURCES AND FISHERIES, TUNISIA
Mahmoud Elyes Hamza, appointed, Monday, October 11, 2021, to the post of Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, within the new Government of Mrs. Najla Bouden, is a doctor of agronomic sciences. He obtained his doctorate from the National Agronomic Institute of Paris, France in 1987. He was born on June 13, 1958 in Mahdia.
JOMANA AL ATIYAT
GAM
Eng. Jomana Al Atiyat, is the Director of Social Centers Department at Greater Amman Municipality, where she has been serving for over 26 years.
She also was a Senior Consultant for Jordan Higher Council for Professional Qualification and Accreditation.
AMINA AMHARECH
AZUL
A founding member of the Amazigh community network Azul, in Morocco, Amina is a committed activist to the cause of the indigenous peoples of north Africa. She also represented her constituency on the ILC council from 2018 to 2021.
HRH PRINCESS BASMA BINT TALAL
JORDAN
For over 40 years HRH Princess Basma bint Talal has worked extensively to promote a wide range of global issues related to sustainable human development. Princess Basma founded and heads the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), heads the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW), serving as a reference and leading policy-making forum in Jordan on women’s isues and rights. Princess Basma is Honorary Human Development Ambassador for UNDP, and Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women and UNFPA.
Princess Basma holds a doctorate in development studies from Oxford University and is the author of “Re-thinking an NGO: Development, Donors and Civil Society in Jordan”.
H.E. MARIA HADJITHEODOSIOU
AMBASSADOR
EU Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Prior to 2019, she was the Director of the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Deputy Director and Deputy Sherpa of the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union and in various positions in the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the EU and the Foreign Ministry, including as Head of the European Union Policy Division.
RANDA MAHMOUD RIZK
CAIRO UNIVERSITY
Dr. Randa Rizk, Member of the Specialized Council for Community Development at the Presidendcy and Professor of Educational Media at Cairo University, contributed to empowering poor communities through social development, building literacy and advocating with the African and the Arab Network. She also participated in the UN Office anti-poverty campaign and supported various community initiatives at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
JAMAL TALAB AL-AMLEH
LAND RESEARCH CENTER
Mr. Jamal Talab Al-Amleh is the General Director of the Land Research Center (LRC) - Arab Studies Society. He supervises all LRC activities in the fields of human rights (rights of land & housing), sustainable development, and related research and studies. He conducted many studies and research on statistics related to education, water, Jerusalemites, and Israeli violations against Palestinian land and housing rights. He has several publications on colonization, land seizure, and legal defense mechanism, and is considered an expert on Land Tenure Rights and Registration. He is an active member of the Land and Housing Rights Network.
MARIAM AL JAAJAA
THE ARAB GROUP FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATURE
Ms. Mariam Al Jaajaa holds a BA in International Development from Leeds University, a Graduate Diploma in Economics and an MSc in Development Economics from SOAS - University of London.
Ms. Mariam works in the areas of sustainability, rural development, food security, agriculture, and conflict response.
FATMA KHAFAGY
UNICEF EGYPT
Dr. Fatma Khafagy headed the Gender Program at UNICEF Egypt for fifteen years and founded and headed the first gender equality ombudsman office in Egypt.
She is founder and/or member of several NGOs such as the Egyptian Feminist Union and the Arab Women's Alliance, the Arab Women's Network for Equality and Solidarity ``Thira`` and the Gender Expert Group of the North and South Center of the Council of Europe.
FRIDAH GITHUKU
GROOTS KENYA
Fridah is the ILC Council Co-Chair and Executive Director of GROOTS Kenya, a national movement of grassroots women and girls. She spends her time mentoring grassroots women to leadership, powering grassroots women feminists' organizing, and amplifying their voices. She is also a passionate promoter of the GROOTS Saving and Cooperative Society, a grassroots women-only financial institution.
SAFA'A ALMOMANI
GREEN GENERATION FOUNDATION
board member at Green Generation Foundation and SEEDs activist, Safa'a has been active on the climate agenda for many years, participating in a number of local and international environmental forums. She comes from a family of farmers, and now fights for agricultural initiatives that are sustainable and protect our planet.
WILLI ZIMMERMANN
LAND POLICY SPECIALIST
Willi is a Land Policy Specialist who supports the Arab Land Governance Initiative as senior advisor. He is helping to build professional capacities and networks as well as supporting land-related project implementation. He is much engaged in the MENA region since 2006. Before retirement, Willi Zimmermann worked more than 25 years as Senior Land Officer with GIZ around the globe and in Germany.
SIMA SAMI BAHOUS
UN WOMEN
A champion for women and girls, gender equality and youth empowerment, as well as a keen advocate for quality education, poverty alleviation and inclusive governance, Bahous brings to the position over 35 years of leadership experience at the grassroots, national, regional and international levels.
CECILIA KINUTHIA-NJENGA
UNFCCC
Ms. Cecilia Kinuthia-Njenga, Director for Intergovernmental Support and Collective Progress, United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC), is an Economist/Urban and Regional Planner with over twenty-seven years of progressive work experience in international sustainable development, climate change and conservation.
LAUREL OETTLE
AFRA
She is the Executive Director of the Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA), a Land Rights Advocacy non-profit organisation working in South Africa since 1979 to support marginalised black rural people, with a focus on farm dwellers and labour tenant. AFRA works towards an inclusive, gender equitable society where rights are valued, realised and protected, essential services are delivered, and land tenure is secure.
SANDRA GATHMANN
MODERATOR
Sandra Gathmann is a journalist with Al Jazeera English based in Doha, Qatar. She presents the award-winning show ‘Start Here’ - an online, weekly video series that explains the big news stories for a global audience. Before AJE, Sandra was a TV correspondent based in Istanbul and Brussels, reporting for international channels and making documentaries from all over the world.
MELANIA CANALES
ONAMIAP
Melania Canales is currently president of the National Organization of Andean and Amazonian Women of Peru - ONAMIAP, and coordinator of the Southern Region of the Continental Link of Indigenous Women of the Americas (ECMIA SUR)
PETER VEIT
WRI
For more than 25 years, Peter has worked on a range of environmental governance matters, particularly environment/democracy and environment/human rights links. He has conducted research and written on community-based natural resource management, environmental decentralization, environmental advocacy, and other environmental accountability matters.
CHRIS PENROSE BUCKLEY
FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH & DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, UK
Chris is Senior Adviser on Land Policy at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. He is an agriculture, land and rural development specialist with over 20 years’ experience in smallholder agriculture, land rights, market development and natural resource management in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Chris holds an MSc in rural development and agricultural economics from Imperial College London.
ARCHANA SORENG
ACTIVIST
Archana Soreng is an Indigenous Youth belonging to Khadia tribe from Odisha, India. She is one of the seven members of the United Nations Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. She is also the member of YOUNGO, (Official Children and Youth Constituency of UNFCCC) and also the Contact Point of Indigenous Solidarity Working Group of YOUNGO. She also participated at Conference of Youth COY 16 and UNFCCC Conference of Parties COP 26 as Indigenous Youth, Member of UN Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change and Member of YOUNGO.
NONETTE ROYO
TENURE FACILITY
Nonette is the Executive Director of Tenure Facility. Nonette is a lawyer and a specialist in Indigenous Peoples, land rights, environment, and natural resources management. Her experience spans for over 30 years and most of her work has been in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Nearly a decade advising a diverse range of international actors, she dedicated her work to Indigenous Peoples and local communities in forest and climate programmes, focusing on advancing Indigenous Peoples and women’s legal rights.
DAVID BOYLE
UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON HUMAN RIGHTS & THE ENVIRONMENT
Dr. David R. Boyd is the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment (2018-2024) and a professor of law, policy, and sustainability at the University of British Columbia, jointly appointed at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs.
Boyd is also the author of ten books and over 100 reports and articles on environmental law and policy, human rights, and constitutional law.
He lives on Pender Island with his partner and their daughter, and loves to run, hike, kayak and cycle!
MIKE DAVIS
GLOBAL WITNESS
Mike Davis became Global Witness’ CEO in February 2020. This follows three years in the role of Director of Campaigns, Planning and Evaluation, during which Mike has overseen the development of a new Global Witness strategy with a strong emphasis on abuses of power driving climate crisis.
SANDRA GATHMANN
JOURNALIST
Sandra Gathmann is a journalist with Al Jazeera English based in Doha, Qatar. She presents the award-winning show ‘Start Here’ - an online, weekly video series that explains the big news stories for a global audience. Before AJE, Sandra was a TV correspondent based in Istanbul and Brussels, reporting for international channels and making documentaries from all over the world.
LADY NANCY ZULUAGA JARAMILLO
BHRRC
Legal Researcher in the Civic Freedoms & Human Rights Defenders program at the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, she has led a global research on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation and has been involved in a project regarding mandatory human rights due diligence and she coordinates the Strategic Litigation Network in Business and Human Rights in Latin America.
MIKE DAVIS
GLOBAL WITNESS
Mike Davis became Global Witness’ CEO in February 2020. This follows three years in the role of Director of Campaigns, Planning and Evaluation, during which Mike has overseen the development of a new Global Witness strategy with a strong emphasis on abuses of power driving climate crisis.
KHALID KHAWALDEH
DQLCC
Khalid is co-founding member of Dana and Qadisiyah Local Community Cooperative in Jordan
JACOB OMAR JERÓNIMO
NUEVO DÍA
Of maya ch'orti' origins and co-founder of the Central de Organizaciones Indígenas y Campesinas Maya Ch'orti', he works for ensuring the collective rights of indigenous peoples to land, territories, and integral rural development. He is part of a number of national peasant and human rights organisations and gave his contribution to the the jurisprudence on the right to food in Guatemala.
BEVERLY LITDOG LONGID
AIPP
She is an Igorot (indigenous peoples) belonging to the Bontok-Kankanaey people of the Mountain Province, Cordillera, Philippines. She is currently the international solidarity officer of Katribu, a national alliance of Indigenous Peoples organizations in the Philippines and executive council member of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), among others. An activist since high school, she has been subjected to several threats, harassment and intimidation due to her social involvement. Beverly is a grandmother and holds degrees in Psychology, English Literature, and Law.
MONICA USAI
LIBERA CONTRO LE MAFIA
Monica Usai is program coordinator for the Italian network Libera - Associations, names and numbers against mafias - She coordinates the African desk, manages several EU projects, as well as international campaigns to advocate in the specific the promotion of peace and social justice towards civic engagement as active tool against criminal violence, above all mafia type organisations.
MICHAEL FAKHRI
UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE RIGHT TO FOOD
Professor Fakhri received his doctorate from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, LL.M. from Harvard Law School, LL.B. from Queen’s University, and B.Sc. in biology from the University of Western Ontario.
RUTH MEINZEN-DICK
IFPRI
NAMNYAK MAKKO
PASTORAL WOMEN'S COUNCIL
Namnyak Makko is from the ethnic group of pastoralists in Northern Tanzania, the Maasai.
Namnyak holds a Doctor of Medicine Bachelors Degree from the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es Salaam.
As Deputy Program Manager at PWC, she is able to assist in coordinating the PWC team in innovating and implementing community-based interventions including in Sexual and Reproductive Health in the pursuit of holistic empowerment of pastoralist women in Northern Tanzania.
BENJAMIN DAVIS
FAO
Director of Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality at FAO, Benjamin has extensive experience in social protection, social policies and agricultural
economics. He previously served as Strategic Progrmme Leader, Rural Poverty Reduction and Deputy Director of the Agricultural Development Economics Division at FAO and he was team
leader of the From Production to Protection (PtoP) project. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics and a Master’s in Public Policy from UC Berkeley.
ALBERTO BROCH
COPROFAM
Alberto is a family farmer in the municipality of Alto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
He is president of COPROFAM, vice president of CONTAG, vice president of the World Rural Forum and participates in the World Steering Committee of the Decade of Family Farming.
COLE FRATES
FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL, RRG
Cole Frates is a co-founder of the Renewable Reosurces Group (RRG), a Los Angeles based firm that invests, develops and operates water, agricultural and renewable energy projects that provide strong financial returns and improve the environment and lives of the peoples who work in it. RRG makes investments across the food and agricultural sector in areas such as sustainable farming, processing, trading and consumer market placement strategies, all with a goal of driving sustainability results that support decarbonization, ecosystem health and direct benefits to local communities and peoples.
GABRIELA BUCHER
OXFAM
Executive Director of Oxfam International, she is an experienced social justice leader, deeply committed to gender equality, human rights, and to tackling economic inequality. She worked alongside children and communities affected by Colombia’s decades-long armed conflict and contributed to peace building and youth active citizenship, influencing the country’s approach on restorative justice for children. Prior to Oxfam, Ms. Bucher was the Chief Operating Officer at Plan International, and led Fundación Plan Colombia.
PATRIK OLSSON
SDC
Patrik Olsson is currently responsible for the Global Programme for Food Security & Land from the Swiss Development Cooperation. Before joining SDC in 2005, he worked in applied science and the private sector. With SDC, has been head of office in Haiti and Sudan, and lead the humanitarian response in the Yemen crises.
OMBRETTA TEMPRA
GLTN
Land Specialist in the Global Land Tool Network, she is based in the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Arab States, from where she leads the Agency’s global portfolio on land and conflict and the regional work on housing, land and property rights. Ombretta’s technical fields of expertise include spatial planning, housing, land administration and tenure security, slum upgrading, coordination, partnership and capacity building. Her work is published in United Nations and universities’ press.
DON MARQUES
ANGOC
ABDUL RAHIM BISHARAT
COMMUNITY LEADER, WEST BANK
MARICIELO QUISPE
CODECA
FRIDAH GITHUKU
ILC CO-CHAIR
Ms Fridah Githuku, ILC co-chair.
ETIENNE COYETTE
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Data scientist and Associate Professor of History at Southern Methodist University, she is author of four books, most recently The Long Land War: The Global Struggle for Occupancy Rights, 1874-1881 , Yale Agrarian Studies Series (New Haven, Yale University Press, 2022), which tells the struggle of the global movement for land redistribution, reparations in land, indigenous rights, and the rights of small farmers.
JO GULDI
HISTORIAN
Data scientist and Associate Professor of History at Southern Methodist University, she is author of four books, most recently The Long Land War: The Global Struggle for Occupancy Rights, 1874-1881 , Yale Agrarian Studies Series (New Haven, Yale University Press, 2022), which tells the struggle of the global movement for land redistribution, reparations in land, indigenous rights, and the rights of small farmers.
MELISSA ALAMO
PAKISAMA
Melissa Alamo is a 26-year. She is in charge of managing the young farmers program and PAMANAKA, the youth arm of PAKISAMA to organize young farmers, build their capacities in securing land rights, accessing equitable support services, and developing the second generation of leaders. In addition, she is handling a project for the empowerment of agri-cooperative members of Pakisama. She's a former ILC fellow who joined the 2019 Jai Jagat Fellowship in India and represented fellows in the 34th ILC Council Workshop Meeting in Rome Italy last 2020.
MIKE TAYLOR
ILC
ILC Director.
RA'ED GHARIB
SEEDS
ENG. KHALED AL HUNIFAT
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, JORDAN
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HANA AL ARAJ
JOURNALIST
Ms. Al Araj is TV presenter, journalist and voice over artist. Al Araj is the official MC for many Palestinian events in Jordan. Hana hosts galas, conferences and corporate events around the Middle East.
H.E. DR. BISHER AL KHASAWNEH
PRIME MINISTER, JORDAN
Prime Minister of Jordan on behalf of the King of Jordan.
MIKE TAYLOR
ILC
PhD in Social Anthropology and a BSc in Environmental Science, Mike joined the ILC team in 2006, having previously worked with the Botswana government and UNDP. He became Director of the Secretariat in 2015. His passion for land rights grew out of his upbringing in a small village in Botswana, building a firm conviction that land rights are fundamental to building a more just and inclusive world.
ELHAM ABBADI
BAYOUDHA VILLAGE FARMERS
She is the founder of the Albalqa Innovation Institute and president of the Bayoudha Village Farmers Cooperative which was founded by her great grandfather in 1962.
An entrepreneur in permaculture, farming and community based solutions, she provides innovative socioeconomic solutions to assist her local community in the Bayoudha village and Arda district where family farming plays an important role in the environmental socio-economic development.RA’ED GHARIB
SEEDS
Dr. Ra’ed Gharib is the director of SEEDS. The organisation's main focus is growing young people into collaborative leaders and productive members of their communities.
JO PURI
IFAD
Ms Jo Puri is Assistant Vice President - Strategy and Knowledge Department at IFAD
OMAR SHOSHAN
JORDAN ENVIRONMENTAL UNION
Omar worked for multiple national and international organisations specialized in environment and media such as the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) (director of Azraq Wetland Reserve, environmental policy manager, board of directors), Bird Life Int’l, CEBF, and currently as chairman of Environmental Societies Union. Omar is also an experienced trainer and visiting lecturer at various universities and recently he is a civil society instructor in Middlebury School in Jordan.
MAHMOUD ELIAS HAMZA
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, WATER RESOURCES AND FISHERIES, TUNISIA
Mahmoud Elyes Hamza, appointed, Monday, October 11, 2021, to the post of Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, within the new Government of Mrs. Najla Bouden, is a doctor of agronomic sciences. He obtained his doctorate from the National Agronomic Institute of Paris, France in 1987. He was born on June 13, 1958 in Mahdia.
JOMANA AL ATIYAT
GAM
Eng. Jomana Al Atiyat, is the Director of Social Centers Department at Greater Amman Municipality, where she has been serving for over 26 years.
She also was a Senior Consultant for Jordan Higher Council for Professional Qualification and Accreditation.AMINA AMHARECH
AZUL
A founding member of the Amazigh community network Azul, in Morocco, Amina is a committed activist to the cause of the indigenous peoples of north Africa. She also represented her constituency on the ILC council from 2018 to 2021.
HRH PRINCESS BASMA BINT TALAL
JORDAN
For over 40 years HRH Princess Basma bint Talal has worked extensively to promote a wide range of global issues related to sustainable human development. Princess Basma founded and heads the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), heads the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW), serving as a reference and leading policy-making forum in Jordan on women’s isues and rights. Princess Basma is Honorary Human Development Ambassador for UNDP, and Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women and UNFPA.
Princess Basma holds a doctorate in development studies from Oxford University and is the author of “Re-thinking an NGO: Development, Donors and Civil Society in Jordan”.
H.E. MARIA HADJITHEODOSIOU
AMBASSADOR
EU Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Prior to 2019, she was the Director of the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Deputy Director and Deputy Sherpa of the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union and in various positions in the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the EU and the Foreign Ministry, including as Head of the European Union Policy Division.RANDA MAHMOUD RIZK
CAIRO UNIVERSITY
Dr. Randa Rizk, Member of the Specialized Council for Community Development at the Presidendcy and Professor of Educational Media at Cairo University, contributed to empowering poor communities through social development, building literacy and advocating with the African and the Arab Network. She also participated in the UN Office anti-poverty campaign and supported various community initiatives at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
JAMAL TALAB AL-AMLEH
LAND RESEARCH CENTER
Mr. Jamal Talab Al-Amleh is the General Director of the Land Research Center (LRC) - Arab Studies Society. He supervises all LRC activities in the fields of human rights (rights of land & housing), sustainable development, and related research and studies. He conducted many studies and research on statistics related to education, water, Jerusalemites, and Israeli violations against Palestinian land and housing rights. He has several publications on colonization, land seizure, and legal defense mechanism, and is considered an expert on Land Tenure Rights and Registration. He is an active member of the Land and Housing Rights Network.
MARIAM AL JAAJAA
THE ARAB GROUP FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATURE
Ms. Mariam Al Jaajaa holds a BA in International Development from Leeds University, a Graduate Diploma in Economics and an MSc in Development Economics from SOAS - University of London.
Ms. Mariam works in the areas of sustainability, rural development, food security, agriculture, and conflict response.FATMA KHAFAGY
UNICEF EGYPT
Dr. Fatma Khafagy headed the Gender Program at UNICEF Egypt for fifteen years and founded and headed the first gender equality ombudsman office in Egypt.
She is founder and/or member of several NGOs such as the Egyptian Feminist Union and the Arab Women's Alliance, the Arab Women's Network for Equality and Solidarity ``Thira`` and the Gender Expert Group of the North and South Center of the Council of Europe.FRIDAH GITHUKU
GROOTS KENYA
Fridah is the ILC Council Co-Chair and Executive Director of GROOTS Kenya, a national movement of grassroots women and girls. She spends her time mentoring grassroots women to leadership, powering grassroots women feminists' organizing, and amplifying their voices. She is also a passionate promoter of the GROOTS Saving and Cooperative Society, a grassroots women-only financial institution.
SAFA'A ALMOMANI
GREEN GENERATION FOUNDATION
board member at Green Generation Foundation and SEEDs activist, Safa'a has been active on the climate agenda for many years, participating in a number of local and international environmental forums. She comes from a family of farmers, and now fights for agricultural initiatives that are sustainable and protect our planet.
WILLI ZIMMERMANN
LAND POLICY SPECIALIST
Willi is a Land Policy Specialist who supports the Arab Land Governance Initiative as senior advisor. He is helping to build professional capacities and networks as well as supporting land-related project implementation. He is much engaged in the MENA region since 2006. Before retirement, Willi Zimmermann worked more than 25 years as Senior Land Officer with GIZ around the globe and in Germany.
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SIMA SAMI BAHOUS
UN WOMEN
A champion for women and girls, gender equality and youth empowerment, as well as a keen advocate for quality education, poverty alleviation and inclusive governance, Bahous brings to the position over 35 years of leadership experience at the grassroots, national, regional and international levels.
CECILIA KINUTHIA-NJENGA
UNFCCC
Ms. Cecilia Kinuthia-Njenga, Director for Intergovernmental Support and Collective Progress, United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC), is an Economist/Urban and Regional Planner with over twenty-seven years of progressive work experience in international sustainable development, climate change and conservation.
LAUREL OETTLE
AFRA
She is the Executive Director of the Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA), a Land Rights Advocacy non-profit organisation working in South Africa since 1979 to support marginalised black rural people, with a focus on farm dwellers and labour tenant. AFRA works towards an inclusive, gender equitable society where rights are valued, realised and protected, essential services are delivered, and land tenure is secure.
SANDRA GATHMANN
MODERATOR
Sandra Gathmann is a journalist with Al Jazeera English based in Doha, Qatar. She presents the award-winning show ‘Start Here’ - an online, weekly video series that explains the big news stories for a global audience. Before AJE, Sandra was a TV correspondent based in Istanbul and Brussels, reporting for international channels and making documentaries from all over the world.
MELANIA CANALES
ONAMIAP
Melania Canales is currently president of the National Organization of Andean and Amazonian Women of Peru - ONAMIAP, and coordinator of the Southern Region of the Continental Link of Indigenous Women of the Americas (ECMIA SUR)
PETER VEIT
WRI
For more than 25 years, Peter has worked on a range of environmental governance matters, particularly environment/democracy and environment/human rights links. He has conducted research and written on community-based natural resource management, environmental decentralization, environmental advocacy, and other environmental accountability matters.
CHRIS PENROSE BUCKLEY
FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH & DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, UK
Chris is Senior Adviser on Land Policy at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. He is an agriculture, land and rural development specialist with over 20 years’ experience in smallholder agriculture, land rights, market development and natural resource management in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Chris holds an MSc in rural development and agricultural economics from Imperial College London.
ARCHANA SORENG
ACTIVIST
Archana Soreng is an Indigenous Youth belonging to Khadia tribe from Odisha, India. She is one of the seven members of the United Nations Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. She is also the member of YOUNGO, (Official Children and Youth Constituency of UNFCCC) and also the Contact Point of Indigenous Solidarity Working Group of YOUNGO. She also participated at Conference of Youth COY 16 and UNFCCC Conference of Parties COP 26 as Indigenous Youth, Member of UN Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change and Member of YOUNGO.
NONETTE ROYO
TENURE FACILITY
Nonette is the Executive Director of Tenure Facility. Nonette is a lawyer and a specialist in Indigenous Peoples, land rights, environment, and natural resources management. Her experience spans for over 30 years and most of her work has been in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Nearly a decade advising a diverse range of international actors, she dedicated her work to Indigenous Peoples and local communities in forest and climate programmes, focusing on advancing Indigenous Peoples and women’s legal rights.
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DAVID BOYLE
UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON HUMAN RIGHTS & THE ENVIRONMENT
Dr. David R. Boyd is the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment (2018-2024) and a professor of law, policy, and sustainability at the University of British Columbia, jointly appointed at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs.
Boyd is also the author of ten books and over 100 reports and articles on environmental law and policy, human rights, and constitutional law.
He lives on Pender Island with his partner and their daughter, and loves to run, hike, kayak and cycle!MIKE DAVIS
GLOBAL WITNESS
Mike Davis became Global Witness’ CEO in February 2020. This follows three years in the role of Director of Campaigns, Planning and Evaluation, during which Mike has overseen the development of a new Global Witness strategy with a strong emphasis on abuses of power driving climate crisis.
SANDRA GATHMANN
JOURNALIST
Sandra Gathmann is a journalist with Al Jazeera English based in Doha, Qatar. She presents the award-winning show ‘Start Here’ - an online, weekly video series that explains the big news stories for a global audience. Before AJE, Sandra was a TV correspondent based in Istanbul and Brussels, reporting for international channels and making documentaries from all over the world.
LADY NANCY ZULUAGA JARAMILLO
BHRRC
Legal Researcher in the Civic Freedoms & Human Rights Defenders program at the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, she has led a global research on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation and has been involved in a project regarding mandatory human rights due diligence and she coordinates the Strategic Litigation Network in Business and Human Rights in Latin America.
MIKE DAVIS
GLOBAL WITNESS
Mike Davis became Global Witness’ CEO in February 2020. This follows three years in the role of Director of Campaigns, Planning and Evaluation, during which Mike has overseen the development of a new Global Witness strategy with a strong emphasis on abuses of power driving climate crisis.
KHALID KHAWALDEH
DQLCC
Khalid is co-founding member of Dana and Qadisiyah Local Community Cooperative in Jordan
JACOB OMAR JERÓNIMO
NUEVO DÍA
Of maya ch'orti' origins and co-founder of the Central de Organizaciones Indígenas y Campesinas Maya Ch'orti', he works for ensuring the collective rights of indigenous peoples to land, territories, and integral rural development. He is part of a number of national peasant and human rights organisations and gave his contribution to the the jurisprudence on the right to food in Guatemala.
BEVERLY LITDOG LONGID
AIPP
She is an Igorot (indigenous peoples) belonging to the Bontok-Kankanaey people of the Mountain Province, Cordillera, Philippines. She is currently the international solidarity officer of Katribu, a national alliance of Indigenous Peoples organizations in the Philippines and executive council member of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), among others. An activist since high school, she has been subjected to several threats, harassment and intimidation due to her social involvement. Beverly is a grandmother and holds degrees in Psychology, English Literature, and Law.
MONICA USAI
LIBERA CONTRO LE MAFIA
Monica Usai is program coordinator for the Italian network Libera - Associations, names and numbers against mafias - She coordinates the African desk, manages several EU projects, as well as international campaigns to advocate in the specific the promotion of peace and social justice towards civic engagement as active tool against criminal violence, above all mafia type organisations.
MICHAEL FAKHRI
UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE RIGHT TO FOOD
Professor Fakhri received his doctorate from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, LL.M. from Harvard Law School, LL.B. from Queen’s University, and B.Sc. in biology from the University of Western Ontario.
RUTH MEINZEN-DICK
IFPRI
NAMNYAK MAKKO
PASTORAL WOMEN'S COUNCIL
Namnyak Makko is from the ethnic group of pastoralists in Northern Tanzania, the Maasai.
Namnyak holds a Doctor of Medicine Bachelors Degree from the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es Salaam.
As Deputy Program Manager at PWC, she is able to assist in coordinating the PWC team in innovating and implementing community-based interventions including in Sexual and Reproductive Health in the pursuit of holistic empowerment of pastoralist women in Northern Tanzania.BENJAMIN DAVIS
FAO
Director of Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality at FAO, Benjamin has extensive experience in social protection, social policies and agricultural
economics. He previously served as Strategic Progrmme Leader, Rural Poverty Reduction and Deputy Director of the Agricultural Development Economics Division at FAO and he was team
leader of the From Production to Protection (PtoP) project. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics and a Master’s in Public Policy from UC Berkeley.ALBERTO BROCH
COPROFAM
Alberto is a family farmer in the municipality of Alto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
He is president of COPROFAM, vice president of CONTAG, vice president of the World Rural Forum and participates in the World Steering Committee of the Decade of Family Farming.COLE FRATES
FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL, RRG
Cole Frates is a co-founder of the Renewable Reosurces Group (RRG), a Los Angeles based firm that invests, develops and operates water, agricultural and renewable energy projects that provide strong financial returns and improve the environment and lives of the peoples who work in it. RRG makes investments across the food and agricultural sector in areas such as sustainable farming, processing, trading and consumer market placement strategies, all with a goal of driving sustainability results that support decarbonization, ecosystem health and direct benefits to local communities and peoples.
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GABRIELA BUCHER
OXFAM
Executive Director of Oxfam International, she is an experienced social justice leader, deeply committed to gender equality, human rights, and to tackling economic inequality. She worked alongside children and communities affected by Colombia’s decades-long armed conflict and contributed to peace building and youth active citizenship, influencing the country’s approach on restorative justice for children. Prior to Oxfam, Ms. Bucher was the Chief Operating Officer at Plan International, and led Fundación Plan Colombia.
PATRIK OLSSON
SDC
Patrik Olsson is currently responsible for the Global Programme for Food Security & Land from the Swiss Development Cooperation. Before joining SDC in 2005, he worked in applied science and the private sector. With SDC, has been head of office in Haiti and Sudan, and lead the humanitarian response in the Yemen crises.
OMBRETTA TEMPRA
GLTN
Land Specialist in the Global Land Tool Network, she is based in the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Arab States, from where she leads the Agency’s global portfolio on land and conflict and the regional work on housing, land and property rights. Ombretta’s technical fields of expertise include spatial planning, housing, land administration and tenure security, slum upgrading, coordination, partnership and capacity building. Her work is published in United Nations and universities’ press.
DON MARQUES
ANGOC
ABDUL RAHIM BISHARAT
COMMUNITY LEADER, WEST BANK
MARICIELO QUISPE
CODECA
FRIDAH GITHUKU
ILC CO-CHAIR
Ms Fridah Githuku, ILC co-chair.
ETIENNE COYETTE
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Data scientist and Associate Professor of History at Southern Methodist University, she is author of four books, most recently The Long Land War: The Global Struggle for Occupancy Rights, 1874-1881 , Yale Agrarian Studies Series (New Haven, Yale University Press, 2022), which tells the struggle of the global movement for land redistribution, reparations in land, indigenous rights, and the rights of small farmers.
JO GULDI
HISTORIAN
Data scientist and Associate Professor of History at Southern Methodist University, she is author of four books, most recently The Long Land War: The Global Struggle for Occupancy Rights, 1874-1881 , Yale Agrarian Studies Series (New Haven, Yale University Press, 2022), which tells the struggle of the global movement for land redistribution, reparations in land, indigenous rights, and the rights of small farmers.
MELISSA ALAMO
PAKISAMA
Melissa Alamo is a 26-year. She is in charge of managing the young farmers program and PAMANAKA, the youth arm of PAKISAMA to organize young farmers, build their capacities in securing land rights, accessing equitable support services, and developing the second generation of leaders. In addition, she is handling a project for the empowerment of agri-cooperative members of Pakisama. She's a former ILC fellow who joined the 2019 Jai Jagat Fellowship in India and represented fellows in the 34th ILC Council Workshop Meeting in Rome Italy last 2020.
MIKE TAYLOR
ILC
ILC Director.
RA'ED GHARIB
SEEDS
ENG. KHALED AL HUNIFAT
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, JORDAN